


lebanon

by gi09



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 14x16 never happened, Cas runs errands in lebanon, First Kiss, Fluff, Lebanon Kansas (Supernatural), M/M, food cw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:48:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25937677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gi09/pseuds/gi09
Summary: Sometimes, when he is at the bunker and things are quiet, Castiel goes out and ventures in town.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 24
Kudos: 83





	lebanon

Sometimes, when he is at the bunker and things are quiet, Castiel goes out and ventures in town.

Some days he just feels like stretching his legs, so he takes off before dawn. It’s a long walk to the town center and back in time to see everyone get up for the day, but he likes the solid asphalt of the road under his shoes, the smell of the trees all around, the chirping of the birds nestled on their branches. He likes the clear air of the morning, the cold first light of the day. He enjoys how the landscape is both empty and full, quiet and rich.

It’s always too early to interact to anyone; the town is still sleeping and whoever is already around is too groggy or too busy to give you anything more than a curt nod. Cas appreciates that. Although at this point he feels pretty comfortable on Earth, there are times when he still feels like a fish out of water, so he relishes these morning walks that don’t require too much effort.

On one of those mornings, Dean wakes up while he is still out, and Cas’ phone rings in his pocket as he walks. On the other end Dean gruffly says, _Where are you?_ and Cas looks around and reads out loud the first sign he sees. He says, _Gallery Bistrò_ and Dean says, _And where is that?_ and Cas says _Lebanon, Kansas_ and Dean says _Oh_ and, after a moment, _I thought you’d taken off_. Cas smiles, looking at the freshly baked croissant displayed in the windows of the bistrò and says _I’m on my way_ and _Would you like a croissant?_

Some days, when he has errands to run, Cas takes his pick-up.

He always passes by the front windows of the post office and when the place is empty and she is not busy, Marta catches his eyes through the blinds and waves at him to come inside. He doesn’t mind spending a few minutes chatting with her. She is kind and nods understandingly and never makes him feel like he’s speaking in tongues. She always asks after Dean at some point, she says _How’s Dean?_ and _He should come by more often, will you tell him that?_ and Cas always says _He’s fine_ and _Of course, he’s very busy with work but he’d love to come by_. He likes the way she lights up at that and how - later, when he tells him - Dean snorts and brags about his charm.

But some other times when she talks about Dean she says _He is such a gentleman_ and _What a nice person_ and Cas nods and says _He is_ and _He is the best man I know_ and her face melts into a soft smile, she pats his hand and says _I know, darling_. Cas doesn’t know what she knows but he doesn’t ask. He doesn’t even tell Dean because he doesn’t know how to explain it. She shows him pictures of her grandson and he buys stamps with sea animals to give Jack as a present.

Then he stops at the liquor store. Jackson will have ready for him two or three cases of the usual beer. From the moment he sees him at the door he talks and talks about how happy he is that the Campbell brothers moved to town, because _They know their stuff_ , he can tell, and he never had anyone like Dean with whom he could talk about booze for hours.

He motions to follow him out back and always insists on helping him carry the cases to his pick-up even if Cas says _Thank you_ and _There’s no need_ cause he can handle it of course, but Jackson is already grabbing one and cutting him off saying _Believe me, give it a few years and you’ll feel it_ and _You gotta be careful with your back_ so Cas lets him help and accepts the spare bottle of whatever new thing he has for Sam and Dean to try and promises him to tell the Campbells that they’re always welcome there.

When they are missing something from the bunker he stops at the mini mart. Fortunately, the young man he was rude to that one time doesn’t work there anymore. Stacy always greets him with a friendly _Hello_ , unless it’s very early in the morning and she still has sleep fogging her eyes or late in the afternoon and she looks bored with her schoolbooks open on her lap.

The first few times, when he approaches her, she avoids his gaze, in a way that suggests that they both know the same secret, and it’s a truth that doesn’t exactly scare her but she would rather not know. Those first few times when he puts the basket on the counter, she says _Everything alright?_ a little unsure, like she is asking about the shopping but also like she is worried that he is going to start talking about monsters. Cas says _Yes_ and nothing else so as not to scare her.

One quiet afternoon though, she is clumsily trying to figure out how the brand new object scanner works and Cas sees her growing frustrated. She says _I hate this thing_ under her breath. He extends one hand and says _I can show you_ and, proudly, _I’ve worked in a Gas n’ Sip_. She doesn’t seem impressed by that, but lets him try and Cas teaches her. Now when she says _Everything alright?_ she smiles and Cas says _Yes_ and _Thank you, Stacy_.

If Max is perched on the counter next to her, flipping through a magazine, Stacy is even more relaxed. They exchange looks behind Cas’ back and Max watches him from under her eyelashes the whole time he wanders around in the shop. One time she sees him looking at the candy bars display for a long time and she heads over, points at one kind of chocolate bar and says _Trust me_. He buys three. He forgets them in the pocket of his coat and Dean eats them all one morning when they head out before he can have breakfast. After the first bite he turns towards Cas with his eyes wide and asks _Where did you get these?_ And Cas says _A friend recommended them_.

As he drives by the small movie theater he makes sure to memorize the movies they are showing that week in case they decide to have a movie night out. One time they are giving an old movie whose title sounds familiar, so he stops the pick-up, fishes out his phone and sends Dean a picture of the posters, to which Dean texts back _We’re going_. Only, some case turns up later than night and they are gone all week and miss it.

When he comes back, Dean snoops in the bags he brings in, makes sure he got everything from Jackson, hears about his chats with Marta. Sometimes he jokes _You’re gonna steal her from me_ , to which Cas responds earnestly, _I don’t mean to_ , and Dean laughs and it echoes on the kitchen walls. And then Cas stops by Jack’s room and knocks lightly on the wooden door, usually ajar. As soon as Jack sees him slipping a hand in his coat’s pocket his face brightens. He stretches a hand out and Cas rests the stamp on his palm. It’s usually a little crumpled but Jack always smiles and says _A sea lion!_ or _A whale!_ or _A shark!_ or _A sea horse!_ and _That’s so cool_ and _Thank you Cas_ , like he just handed him a star. And Cas lingers a few moments by the door just to watch him place it in his little wooden box, together with the rest of his small collection.

Sometimes before going back to the bunker he visits the pizza place, where Max’s mum, Caitlin, works. He opens up Sam’s latest text message and lists off their order. During the weekend, a table far back in a corner is usually crowded with young familiar faces. He stands at the entrance waiting for his order to be ready, looking down at the checkered floor and twisting the receipt in his hands and he feels their eyes on him.

One time Eliot ventures to the counter to get a refill for his drink. He makes a poor attempt at covering the fact that he is watching him and Cas pretends not to notice to spare him the embarrassment, but Eliot surprises him, turns around and bravely asks _You are Jack’s father right?_ Cas hesitates, then says, _I am_ and Eliot smiles and nods enthusiastically, _I figured, you look exactly the same_. Cas is pleased to hear that. Eliot starts talking non-stop, about things he read and things he knows and asking about Jack without even giving him time to answer and Cas is only saved by Caitlin who hands him his pile of pizza boxes. Eliot follows him to the door and keeps it open for him and says _Tell him to text me, okay? So we can hang out sometimes_.

On the nights he gets pizza, he takes the boxes to the pick-up, places them on the passenger seat and drives carefully back to the bunker. He parks, kills the engine, exits, gets to the passenger seat, takes out the pizza boxes and makes his way to the map room. Dean is usually there already, waiting, with an uncorked beer in one hand. He greets him widening his arms and saying _Finally_ and _Thank god I was starving_ before shouting for Sam to join them. Jack doesn’t need to be called, he comes stumbling immediately after Cas, drawn by the smell of food that fills the hallways.

Dean is on his second slice by the time Sam walks in and complains that Dean didn’t wait for him. Sometimes he comes in with a news or wants to talk about his latest research. And Dean rolls his eyes and points at the pizza, and with his mouth full says, _Dude, pizza first, work later_ and Cas sits by Jack’s side and watches them and feels happy.

+

One time Dean drives to meet him in town and they sit at the pizza place and Caitlin stops by the table to get their orders and says _It’s nice to have you here for once_ and Max and Stacy wave at them from the corner table and keep sneaking glances at them and whispering and Dean notices but doesn’t mention it, just fiddles with the menu longer than he usually does and keeps his elbows off the table where he’s sure he can’t touch Cas’.

He says, _This is weird_ and _Is this weird?_ and Cas says, _It’s not_ each time until Dean relaxes and jokes and forgets about whatever was bothering him and when Caitlin comes by asking if they have room for dessert he cheerfully says, _We’ll take two slices of pie for the road_ and nudges Cas with his elbow, now very much in contact with his.

Dean walks beside him down the empty streets, swinging the bag with the pies with one hand and touching the back of Cas’ hand with the other, once, twice. Then he grabs it. He says _This is weird_ and _Is this weird?_ and Cas says _It’s not_ each time and Dean squeezes his hand. He says, _Who could’ve known?_ and Cas says _Marta knew_ and Dean laughs and says _Yeah, you’re probably right_.

They get to the cars and Dean follows him to his pick-up and Cas lets him push him against it and press his body against his. Cas slips his hands under Dean’s jacket to rest them on his hips, and kisses him slowly and the bag swings and drops from Dean’s fingers.

A long time passes before a distance sound startles them apart. Dean pulls back and says, _We should get home_. Cas watches him stumbling backwards, picking up his bag, smiling. He says _Uh, right_ and _I’ll see you at home_ and he waves awkwardly. Cas smiles and gets into his pick-up and as he drives right behind the Impala, the town, quiet and empty, rolls by outside his windows and he thinks, _I like it here_.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!
> 
> also on tumblr:  
> [here](https://dcforts.tumblr.com/post/625005073973592064/lebanon-sometimes-when-he-is-at-the-bunker-and)


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